


Dinner Plans (Food is Love Remix)

by Neverever



Category: Avengers Assemble (Cartoon)
Genre: Anniversary, Dinner, Established Relationship, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-21
Updated: 2020-02-21
Packaged: 2021-02-27 21:13:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,335
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22792303
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Neverever/pseuds/Neverever
Summary: Steve has had a long hard day. It doesn't get better.
Relationships: Steve Rogers/Tony Stark
Comments: 8
Kudos: 169
Collections: 2020 Captain America/Iron Man Relay Remix





	Dinner Plans (Food is Love Remix)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Lets_call_me_Lily](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lets_call_me_Lily/gifts).
  * Inspired by [for the love of (the spaghetti remix)](https://archiveofourown.org/works/22528336) by [Lets_call_me_Lily](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lets_call_me_Lily/pseuds/Lets_call_me_Lily). 



> Written for 2020 Cap-IM Remix Relay (tree chain).
> 
> Big thanks to arms_plutonic for the beta work!

No doubt about it, Steve had had a long hard day.

He rested his head against the wall of the elevator car that was whisking him homewards to the suite he shared with Tony. TMZ would have given their eyeteeth to publish photos of Captain America with exhaustion marked all over his face. And that would have been the least of Steve’s troubles that day.

Punching AIM agents or fighting an alien invasion was a cakewalk for Steve. It was the rounds and rounds of SHIELD and UN bureaucracy that wore on him. Being the co-face for the Avengers ate into his vast stores of patience. The press conference about potential fallout from the recent Kang the Conqueror worked Steve’s last nerve.

No, he couldn’t predict when Kang would be back. He preferred if Kang never, ever came back. Questions about the Avengers’ response, the good, the bad, and the ugly. Who was paying for the damage to New York? Any statements regarding military and civilian casualties? Did Captain America have a comment on Ant-man’s Instagram account with the alleged shirtless picture of Captain America?

Of course, Steve cared deeply about civilian injuries and hoped that their recovery would be quick. SHIELD and the Avengers were doing their best to counter any future attacks. And, officially, Captain America did not do even partial nudity, or cursing, or thought any thoughts other than saving and protecting the world. Oh, and please be a good citizen and vote in the upcoming election.

Captain America had unflagging energy, a perfect motivating speech at the ready, and always came with an encouraging word.

Steve, on the other hand, had daydreams about his sexy husband while half-listening to a SHIELD training session on cyber-security. He left wet towels on the bathroom floor when running late and was not above pouting a little to get Tony to switch back to the baseball game. He let Scott take a photo of him shirtless for his instagram account to boost Scott’s followers.

If Steve had known he was signing up for a lifetime’s worth of upholding a nation’s ideals and representing the best of humankind, he might have passed on the serum. He ran a hand over his face as the elevator slowed. No, even knowing he’d end up in the future, Steve would still have taken the serum.

For all that, he had Tony. 

He smiled, thinking that in a minute, he’d see Tony after his miserable day, and Tony would cheer him up with funny stories and flirty smiles.

He could even get lucky.

Tony could have decided to cook dinner instead of ordering take-out. He was an amazing cook and baker, when he wanted to be. Steve could still taste the cinnamon rolls Tony had made three weeks ago at midnight when he couldn’t figure out a bit of code. It was an open secret among the team that Tony made a divine lasagna.

Steve never counted on Tony having the time or the inclination. It was always a surprise and a delight when Tony made dinner or breakfast. Besides, Steve loved to watch Tony cook and bake -- the ballet he danced in the kitchen as he assembled the ingredients, did the prep and mixed up the recipes.

A fistful of memories that Steve would never give up were entwined with Tony’s food. Waking up after their first night together to the wafting scent of warm, homemade bread and frittata. Biting into the creamy chocolate cheesecake Tony made for Valentine’s Day and learning he was head over heels for Tony. Cleaning up pots and pans with Tony from the dinner of pasta and that wonderful meat sauce that had simmered all day, and knowing he wanted to spend the rest of their lives together.

And Tony had grilled these amazing steaks last year for their anniversary last year --

_Their anniversary._

_Today._

Steve groaned. He’d been so busy that he’d forgotten. He should have made reservations, picked up that watch Tony liked, and gotten flowers on the way home.

The only saving grace was that Tony had practically pushed him out of the suite today with all sorts of excuses about why he couldn’t make any of the SHIELD meetings. Maybe there was an outside chance that Tony had plans. Tony might have been cooking all day, pouring all his talent and love into their favorite dishes. Steve should have picked up on what Tony was planning.

He could almost taste Tony’s artisanal bread with his specially compounded butter melting all over it. 

Still, Steve was showing up late with nothing for Tony, who meant everything to him. He wouldn’t even have time to sketch a card.

He swallowed down his guilt as the elevator doors slid open.

Tony shoved him back into the elevator.

The doors slammed shut.

Weary in mind and body, Steve stood, blinking, in the elevator. He had really stepped in it this time. Tony hadn’t even said hello or anything. 

He supposed he could retreat to the Avengers floor for the night. Try to talk to Tony tomorrow.

Yet, he stopped. He smelled something, but it was not the spicy scent of pasta sauce or fresh-from-the-oven herbed bread. 

“Tony!” He pounded on the door.

_Something was on fire in their suite._

“Sir has ordered me to take you to the lobby, Captain,” JARVIS announced over the intercom. “He will meet you there.”

Just as quickly as he was whisked upstairs, Steve was dumped out into the lobby. There was a stream of people quickly exiting the Tower with the assistance of the rest of the team. The wail of the fire alarms reverberated throughout the lobby.

Steve stepped out into the street and looked up at the suite. He couldn’t see any flames on the outside of the Tower. There was no smoke or other signs of fire.

Tony flew down gracefully in the Iron Man armor to land next to Steve. “JARVIS is sounding the all-clear.”

Relieved that Tony was safe (and a touch guilty for feeling relieved that Tony wasn’t angry with him), Steve asked, “What happened?”

Tony took his helmet off. “Oven’s temperature gauge gave out and went from 200 degrees to 500 in ten minutes. When I opened the oven, I dropped a towel on a heating element. That’s when the fire started.” He made a face. “It, um, escalated from there.”

Steve reached for Tony. “You’re safe.”

Tony was inconsolable. “I worked all day on dinner -- and it’s all gone up in smoke, charred to bits.”

Security people were waving people back into the Tower as Steve and Tony stood on the sidewalk.

“Better no dinner than no husband,” Steve assured him.

“And, now we need to renovate the kitchen.”

“Do whatever is necessary. Call it my anniversary present to you.”

Tony stared at Steve. “You forgot, didn’t you?”

Steve had a photographic memory so, no, he technically didn’t forget. He just hadn’t thought about it or looked closely at the calendar. “I, um, you know --”

Tony laughed and ruffled Steve’s hair. “I forgot, too, by the way, until you mentioned it.”

“But the meal --”

“I had a couple of meetings cancelled. I had Pepper reschedule the last one and you were going to SHIELD for the day on behalf of the Avengers. Perfect day to grocery shop and make you a surprise dinner.”

“Oh.” 

They both laughed. Tony kissed Steve’s forehead. “I wonder how long you would have felt guilty about it, thinking I made all this effort.”

“A long time.”

“Would you have felt guilty enough to let me expand the workshop or take that long trip to Rome?” Tony asked hopefully.

“Not that guilty.”

“An engineer’s got to try.” Tony paused for a second to listen to JARVIS. “It’s going to take a few hours to clear out the smoke from the kitchen. We can crash with the team.”

“And order pizza?”

“Sure. Let’s spend our anniversary making Clint and Sam squirm.”

“I love you too,” Steve said.


End file.
